Monsanto’s Research Facility Burned To The Ground

Earlier this week, A research facility in France belonging to Monsanto was burned down. Investigators believe that an arsonist is responsible.

Monsanto representative Jakob Witten told Reuters that investigators “strongly suspect it was a crime as no electrical or other sources were found.”He added that “No Monsanto sites in Europe have so far been the victim of fires of criminal origin, this is unprecedented violence.”

Investigators also noticed there was a strong smell of gasoline in different areas of the building. The fire had multiple points of origin as well, which makes it unlikely it wasn’t on purpose.

In June, France had announced it was banning all sales of RoundUp which is Monsanto’s flagship herbicide. France declared they were also strengthening the ban on genetically modified crops.

Monsanto is no longer in the shadows and has become one of the world’s most hated corporations. France is very strict with their resistance towards the company.

Nevertheless, the recent fire is merely the tip of the iceberg with regard to Monsanto’s recent problems.

The company recently moved to close three different research facilities to save money in the face of declining profits. As Reuters reported last week, Monsanto research centers in Middleton, Wisconsin, Mystic, Connecticut, and Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, will soon be closed to cut costs.

Last month, the infamous company announced it would be cutting 2,600 jobs — 12% of its workforce — in order to lower costs. Monsanto also announced a loss of 19 cents per share in the most recent quarter. Profits are expected to remain low throughout the year.